Presentation obscures the real content

A novel aspect of the Budget statement by Minister for Finance Charlie McCreevy yesterday was the announcement of the specifics of the Government’s decentralisation programme promised in December 1999.

Departments and agencies are being transferred to 53 centres in all 25 counties outside Dublin. The whole thing sounds attractive, but it has the aspects of a political confidence trick designed to distract people.

There may be plenty of continuing tax relief for the wealthy business people who have invested in the various programmes that are being extended, but there is very little in this budget for the people who pay most of the income tax the PAYE workers. It is not just that they are getting very little, but they are going to be asked to pay a lot more.